URC Daily Devotion 24 September 2025

1 Timothy 3: 14 – 16

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these instructions to you so that, if I am delayed, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and bulwark of the truth.  Without any doubt, the mystery of our religion is great: He was revealed in flesh, vindicated in spirit,        seen by angels, proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world, taken up in glory.

Reflection

If we were to write to a Christian community, new in the faith, yet eager to put down deep roots, and tentatively finding its way forward, I wonder what message we would send. Of all the things that might be said, what would be the core things we would choose to bolster such a fledgling congregation?  How would we capture and communicate the essence of what Christianity is all about?

What is so impressive about today’s reading is that it manages to convey in just a few brief verses the heart of “the mystery of our religion.” Godliness is at the centre and foundation of our faith, a godliness that is pre-eminently exemplified in Jesus Christ. The nature of our belief grounded in Jesus is then marvellously captured in a series of succinct affirmations:

·        “He was revealed in flesh” refers to the incarnation, confirming Christ’s humanity;

·        “vindicated in spirit” speaks to the resurrection where the Holy Spirit confirmed his divine nature;

·        “seen by angels” highlights the heavenly witness to his life and mission and signals that it was to have universal and cosmic consequences;

·        “proclaimed among Gentiles, believed in throughout the world” heralds the worldwide spreading of the gospel and the global acceptance of Christ; and finally

·        “taken up in glory” points to his ascension, the culmination of his earthly ministry.

So, this letter to Timothy, and the budding church community he leads, sets out with a voice of caring authority, the need to establish themselves as a family of faith built on the fundamental nature of Jesus Christ. In this way they will mature into a “pillar and bulwark of the truth.”

Prayer

Dear God,
when I lose my way;
when my faith is distracted by
competing noises and messages;
when I am confused by
false worldly attractions;
ground and renew my faith again
in the person of Jesus Christ, my Lord.
Amen